Body of Mpls. South High School Football Player Pulled from Lake Nokomis

The body of a 15-year-old swimmer was recovered from Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Authorities say the boy was swimming with other teens in the morning on the east side of the lake.

He was identified by friends as Sha-kym Adams.

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Lt. Art Saunders said the other teens heard Sha-kym having trouble and yelling for help. Deputies found his body two hours later in about 15 feet of murky water.

The 15-year-old was a student and football player at South High School in Minneapolis.

“The student will be missed by classmates, friends and staff at South and throughout the community,” Principal Ray Aponte said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

A statement from the Minneapolis South High Football Facebook page read, “As we grieve the loss of our teammate and friend, we extend our love and support to the victim’s family as well as to those teammates that did their very best to save him. God bless.”

Flowers were placed near the 50th Street Beach several hours later.

Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson said in a statement, "Our hearts are heavy with the tragic death of Sha-kym Adams on Wednesday. We are all profoundly saddened by the loss and will keep the family in our thoughts and prayers...this is a close community, one that will rally together to support one another."

A lifeguard was not on duty at the time of the drowning.

Sarah Chillo, the Aquatics Director for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Department, said they operate that particular beach Thursday through Sunday. The city operates 12 beaches; eight are staffed with lifeguards seven days a week.

This is the first drowning at a public beach in Minneapolis since 2012.